Team Y Pulled it Out!

We completed an 11 mile family bike ride on Saturday morning!  I am so proud of Conner for completing the 11 miles and so happy that my knees held up while toting 30 pounds of joy on the back of my bike :-)  Conner was by far the youngest biker and he rocked it.  He only stopped twice for water on the first leg and he didn't stop at all on the last leg.  He also was breaking in his new 18 in bike.  Some of the participants were calling him a little Lance Armstrong!  I also love that we refer to ourselves as Team Y___ and we really pump up the teamwork aspect - lots of high fives, hands in the huddle and all.  It was a great family-building time.

The start was cool and a bit foggy but it turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous morning.  Conner is ready to do the 31 mile trek next year.  Guess we better start training now...

 

Conner's post race massage

Fall Break

As hoped Conner has taken to kindergarten like a duck to water.  He really made the transition so easy for us.  And as predicted for myself, after the anxiety of the unknown, I have taken to having a child in kindergarten much like having part of my exhausted, mindless self back.  Of course, Camren keeps me busy but it's been refreshing to "just have Camren" during the day while Conner is in school and to be able to truly enjoy him at such an enjoyable age. When I only had Conner, I  was stressed out, unsure about everything, and anxious for for every new phase from newborn to toddler.  Now I'm much more mellow (although I'm sure that's debatable) and feel like I can really enjoy this time with Camren.  It's a true wonder that not all first born children are just truly messed up because there are so many things I feel like I've done "better" the second time around.  But that's life and I'm sure that's what's wrong with me since I'm one of those first born kids!  Anyway, enough psychoanalyzing for one afternoon...

We spent a few days last week in Rising Fawn, GA which is about 20 min south of Chattanooga.  We stayed at the most phenomenal cabin on a lake that we plan to visit often in the future.  It was modern yet quaint in the middle of a gorgeous valley on Lookout Mountain (www.southernmountainresorts.com).  We were close enough to the action in Chattanooga yet it felt like we were worlds away (and with no cell phone reception, we were!).  The boys fished right off the dock attached to our cabin and I hiked some around the property. We also went to Ruby Falls and Point Park.  Chattanooga is one of the few places that we vacationed when I was a child so I have a certain fondness for it but I truly think it's a great family destination and such a short drive from Nashville that I'd love to go more often.  Here's a few pics from our adventures:

I'm so glad that my boys love the outdoors.  Andy remarked that he felt bad for me that maybe we needed to have a little girl that I could go shopping with!  I was very content to watch them fish while I read.  I'm also glad to say that I take my boys along with me for lots of "girly" outings and I hope they can group those times along with their manliness and one day grow up to be well rounded, kind, loving and sensitive husbands.  I don't need a girl to go shopping, I can manage that on my own!

On a personal note, I've just really been focused on being grateful lately and despite all the craziness in our day to day lives, I feel so at peace.  I'm really grateful that God has me in this space these days and I almost feel like a grown up now.  Just taking life's day to day, good, bad, and ugly and taking it in stride.  I hope to stay in this place for a while and hopefully bring a few others along on the journey.  We have so much to be thankful for and even though I've logically known it for years, I really FEEL it now.  Thank you Lord.